Loading device for a gun with a barrel mounted for traversing and elevating or depressing



March 19, 1957 5. A. HE TRbM ETAL 2,785,607

LOADING D CE F A GUN WITH A RREL MOUNTED VERS AND ELEV NG DEPR ms Filed Nov. 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTORS STEN'A UGUST HENSTROM BY ATSNiY March 19, 1957 s. 'A. HENSTROM ETAL 2,785,607

LOADING DEVICE FOR A GUN WITH A BARREL MOUNTED FOR TRAVERSING AND ELEVATING 0R DEPRESSING Filed Nov. 17, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSH Q s TEN AUGUST HENSTBOM ALFALVAR H/MPUS IOHNSON 3 ATTORNEY March 1957 s. A. HENSTROM ETAL 2,735,607

LOADING DEVICE FOR A GUN WITH A BARREL MOUNTED FOR TRAVERSING AND ELEVATING OR DEPRESSING Filed Nov. 17; 1955 4 Sheets-Sheefl'. 4

INVENTOR 5] EN AUGUS THENSTHOM ALFALVAR HAMPUS JOHNSON ATTORNEY United States Patent O LOADING DEVICE FOR A GUN WITH ABARREL MOUNTED FOR TRAVERSING AND ELEVAT- JNG OR DEPRESSING Sten August Henstriim, Bofors, and Alf Alvar Hampus Johnson, Karlskoga, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application November 17, 1953, Serial No. 392,684

Claims priority, application Sweden November 24, 1952 i 13 Claims. (Cl. 89-45) The present invention relates to a loading device for a gun, particularly for a motorized gun such as a gun mounted on a track-laying vehicle.

Motorized guns in particular guns mounted on tracklaying vehicles, are frequently heavy caliber guns. It is standard practice to ram the shells of such guns by hand. As a result, the rate of loading of the guns is too slow to satisfy modern demands on the rate of fire. Various attempts have been'made to design a motorized gun, in particular a gun mounted on a track-laying vehicle, which can be automatically loaded. However, attempts to design an automatic gun of this type have failed so far. The shells of heavy caliber guns have a considerable weight and length. As a result, a magazine suitable to accommodate the shells becomes so'heavy-and bulky that it cannot be conveniently operated with means as heretofore 'known for the purpose.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved loading device for heavy caliber guns in particular for guns mounted on track-laying vehicles, which permits a considerable increase of the rate of fire in comparison with the rate of 'fire obtainable by hand loading. The term heavy caliber as used herein is not intended to designate a definite range of caliber but refers to shells the length and weight of which is such that they are not conveniently suitable for automatic feeding and ramming by means of a magazine of the type used for automatic guns of small caliber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved loading device for guns of the general type above referred to, which is semi-automatic in that the feeding and ramming operations are eifected by the control of power drive means thereby relieving the gun crew of a substantial part of the heavy manual labor usually connected with the servicing by hand of guns having a fairly heavy caliber.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved loading device for guns of the type above referred to, which does not interfere with traversing and elevation or depression of the gun barrel and which is operable in different elevational positions of the gun barrel.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing a now preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a track-laying vehicle mounting a gun equipped with a loading device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an isometric fragmentary view of the loading device and the. gun in one operational position.

' Fig. 3 is a similar isometric fragmentary view but show- Vehicle.

uppermost shell upon the loading surface of loading.

and

Fig. 4 is an isometric fragmentary view also similar to Figs. 2 and 3 and showing the loading device and the gun in still another operational position.

Referring now to the figures in detail, Fig. 1 shows a and a detailed description of the vehicle which may be of any suitable design is not essential for the understanding of the invention. The elevating and traversing mechanisms of the gun alsodo not constitute part of the invention and should be visualized as being of conventional design.

The gun proper comprises a gun barrel 2 and a breech ring 3. There is further shown associated with the gun a loading tray 4, a. loading table 15 and an elevator device.

The elevator is shown ascomprising a casing composed of two hingedly connected sections 5 and 6. Figs. 2 to 4 show the elevator in its unfolded or operational position and Fig. 1 shows the two elevator sections in nearly folded positions. fold the sections of the elevator.

The elevator serves to receive a number of shells or rounds 14, side by side, and has at its outer end an opening 8 for feeding the shells, one by one, into the elevator. The shells are elevated within the elevator by means 'of' two lower rails 9 and 10 and two upper rails 11 and 12; 1 Each rail is provided with spring actuated stops or catches 13 so spaced that the shells can be placed between the stops as can best be seen in Fig. 3. .By means of a power drive, reciprocatory movements are imparted to the rails so that shells placed in the casing through opening 8 are lifted upwardly, step-by-step. Instead of driving all four rails it is of course also possible to reciprocate the upper or lower rails only in which case the stops of the stationary rails must be so arranged that they permit a passage of shells in upward direction but not in downward direction.

The upper or discharge end of the elevator is preferably secured to the cradle in which the gun is carried on the The discharge end of the elevator feeds the table 15.

Loading table 15 is pivotally mounted on pivots 16 which may be part of the trunnions about which the gun barrel is elevated or depressed. In any event, pivots 16 should be disposed coaxially with the elevational'axis of the gun.

At the front end of the loading table, that is, at the end upon which the projectile of a shell rests, a retaining means shown as a spring actuated stop 17 is provided which yieldably limits vertical displacements of a shell resting on the loading table. A pivotal retaining means in form of a second stop 18 is provided at the rear end of the loading table and serves to prevent an axial displacement of a shell relative to the loading table. For this purpose, stop 18 comprises a bifurcated portion which in the pivotal positions of Figs. 3 and 4 engages the flange of the cage of a shell and in the pivotal position of Fig. 2 is disengaged from said flange thereby permitting axial displacement of the shell as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The pivotal position of stop 18 or more specifically of its bifurcated portion is controlled by means of an arm 19 which in turn is actuated by the pivotal position of loading tray 4.

Loading table 15 is pivoted about its pivots 16 by means of a hydraulic power drive 20. This power drive is connected by pipes 21 and 22 with a manifold 23.'z

The inlet and outlet pipes leading to and from this main,

Patented Mar. 19, 1957' ing the loading device in a difierent operational position,

A hydraulic drive 7 serves to fold and unfold are dsignatedby 24 and '25 respectively. The flow of pressure fluid through the manifold and-the-power drive is controlled from a central control point connected with the manifold through a pipe 26.

Theloading tray 4 is shown as comprising arear portion in form of a casing of generally oblong cross section and a front portion in form of a tube 28. The rear end-of the casing is closed by a bottom 27 whereas the front end is open. Tube 28 is rotatably mounted within a tubular casing 29 disposed within the jacket of the gunor forming part thereof. The foremost end of tube 28 mounts a flange 30 coupled to a hydraulic power drive 31. This power drive is in communication with manifold 23 by pipes 32 and 33 and can also be con-- trolled from the aforementioned central control point.

Power drive 31'serves to turn flange-30 about a bearing shaft coaxial with tube -28 thereby effecting a pivotal movement of loading tray 4 about an axis parallel to the axis-of the barrel.

A piston rod 34 is disposed within the loading tray, extending through both the casing portion and the tubular portion-thereof. One end of rod 34 is'secured to casing bottom 27 and a cylinder 35 is fitted axially slidable upon rod 34. Reciprocatory displacements of cylinder 35- on andrelative to piston rod 34 are controlled by means of a hydraulic valve 36 which is connected with manifold 23 by pipes 37 and 38. Adjustment of valve 36=-permits to displace cylinder 35 on rod 34 with any desired velocity and into any desired position. The end of cylinder 35 facing casing bottom 27 mounts an arm -39'-the free end of which is laterally extended to form a push member 40 engageable with the cage face of a shell in loading tray 4 as can best be seen in Fig. 3. Arm 39 further supports a catch member 41. This catch member is pivotally mounted on the arm and arranged to engage with its nose behind the cage flange of a shell as can-best be seen in Fig. 3. A spring 42 also mounted on arm 39 biases catch member 41 toward its position of engagement.

-The position of the catch member is controlled by means of a guide armor nose 43 pivotal in unison with the catch member and coacting with a guide member 45 and a guide rail 44. As will be more fully explained hereinafter, guide rail 44 and guide member 45 are engageable with nose 43 thereby lifting catch member 41 out of its engagement with the shell flange during the ramming operation. .Guide member 45 is preferably spring actuated by means of a spring 46 to avoid damage tothe coacting components of the catch or retaining arrangement.

The operation of a motorized gun equipped with a loading'device as hereinbefore described, is as follows:

The gun as shown in the position of Fig. l is ready for travel, except that the sections and 6 of the loading device should be visualized as being completely closed. Let it now beassumed that the gun is to be fired. For this purpose the traversing and elevating mechanism of the gun is freed and readied for use. The operational steps involved therein are not essential for the understanding of the invention and are hence not described in detail.

The next step is to unfold the elevator into the position of Figs. 2 to 4 in which it is ready to receive shells andto tilt the loading table into a position in which the loading surface thereof is disposed to deposit thereon the uppermost shell inthe elevator. As will be noted, this position coincides inFig. 2 with a position of the loading surface parallel to the axis of the gun barrel and the axis of the loading tray so that the loading table is properly positioned to receive a shell and to transfer the same to the loading tray. According to Fig. 4 however, the loading table isat an angle to the axis of the loading tray so that the loading table must be tilted into a position parallel to the axis of the loading tray. Thisis accomplished by means of hydraulic power drive 20, the shell being held on the loading table by stop 18.

The elevator-ischarged with shells byplacing thesame, one by one, in opening 8 andactuating the elevator rails 9 to 12 until the elevator is filled and the uppermost shell -is deposited upon the loading table.

Cylinder 35 is now moved forwardly, by actuating its valve36, into a position close to the breech ring. Furthermore, the loading tray is pivoted by means of its power drive 31 from the position of Fig. 3 into the position of Fig.2 in. which the outer or lower part of the loading tray is in direct alignment with the loading table or more specifically the shell deposited thereon. As a result, spring actuated catch member 41 engages the cage flange of the shell and stop 18 is pivoted into the position released from said flange by engagement with the outer casing wall of loading tray 4 as can be clearly seen in Fig. 2. Thereupon,-valve 36 is 'so actuated that it moves cylinder 35 back into the position of Fig. 3. As a result, catch member 41 pulls the respective shell from the loading table into the casing of the loading tray and into the position shown in Fig. 3, guide rail 44 and guide member 45 permitting'a passage of the-catch member and its control nose 43 without'disengagement of the catch member. The next step is to pivot, by means of hydraulic power drive 31, the loading tray from the position of Fig. 2 into the position of Fig. 3 in which the shell withinthe loading tray is in position for ramming. Finally, valve 36' is again so actuated that cylinder 35 is moved forwardly, that is, toward the barrel. As a result, pushmember 40'extending from arm 39 of the cylinder eifects ra'mming of the shell. During the forward movement of the shell, control nose 43 engages the guide rail and is'pivoted by the same into a position in which catch member is disengaged from the shell.

The loading and the ramming cycle is now completed and a new cycle can be initiated by pivoting the loading tray into the positionof Fig. 2.

In the eventthe hereinbefore described loading device should fail for any reason, a shell may be rammed by hand by moving the loading tray into the position of Fig. 2.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A loading device for a gun having a barrel mounted for traversing and elevational movement, comprising a loading table having a loading surface mounted pivotally about an axis coaxial with the elevational axis of the gun barrel, and a loading tray mounted pivotally about an axis parallel to the axis of the gun barrel and disposed laterally of the barrel, the said loading table and the said loading tray being arranged in a spatial relationship relative to each other and to the gun barrel such that the loading tray is pivotal between a position in alignment with the barrel axis and a position in alignment with the loading table when the latter is pivoted into the position in which its loading surface is parallel to the axis of the barrel.

2. A loading device according to claim 1 and further comprising elevating means for feeding shells to and upon said loading table, the said elevating means being mounted on the gun for traversing in unison therewith while remaining stationary 'in response to an elevation and depression of the gun.

3. A loading device according to claim 2, wherein the said elevating means comprise a casing composed of several hingedly connected sections foldable one upon another.

4. A loading device accordingto claim 3, wherein stepby-step transport means are provided within said casing for feeding, one-by-one, shells placed in the casing to the loading table.

5. A loading device according to claim 1 and further comprising a releasable retaining means mounted on the loading table and engageable with the rear end of a shell deposited upon the loading table for preventing an axial displacement of said shell, the said retaining means being releasable by engagement With the loading tray in the position of the latter in alignment with the loading table.

6. A loading device according to claim 5 and further comprising a second retaining means mounted on the loading table and engageable with the front end of a shell deposited upon the loading table for limiting displacement of said shell vertically to the loading surface of said loading table.

7. A loading device according to claim 1, wherein the said loading tray comprises a portion in form of a generally oblong casing open at the end facing the loading table for receiving therein a shell from the loading table and delivering the shell to the gambarrel for ramming and a portion constituting a bearing member for mounting the loading tray pivotal about said axis parallel to the axis of the gun barrel, said latter portion of the loading tray being disposed facing the muzzle of the gun barrel.

8. A loading device according to claim 1 and further comprising a loading mechanism associated with the loading tray for moving a shell from the loading table to the loading tray and ramming the shell, the said loading mechanism including movable gripping means for gripping a shell deposited upon the loading table and pulling the shell upon the loading tray, ramming means for ramming a shell moved upon the loading tray and moving means coacting with the gripping means and the ramming means for actuating the said means for purposes aforesaid.

9. A loading device according to claim 8, wherein the said gripping means comprise a movable spring actuated catch member engageable with the rear end of a shell deposited upon the loading table, and wherein the said moving means comprise a member movable toward the loading table and coupled with said catch member for moving the latter from an initial position into engagement with the shell and returning the catch member into its initial position thereby pulling the engaged shell from the loading table upon the loading tray.

16. A loading device according to claim 9, wherein the said ramming means comprise a shell ramming member engageable with a shell on the loading tray and coupled with said movable member for effecting ramming of the shell by moving the movable member in unison with the shell ramming member toward the gun barrel.

11. A loading device according to claim 10, wherein the said shell ramming member comprises a push member 7 engageable with the rear end of a shell on the loading tray,

and wherein the said movable member is formed with an arm supporting such catch member and said push member. a

12. A loading device according to claim 11 and further comprising a release rail coacting with the catch member for releasing the Ilatter from the shell in response to the movement of the'movable member for ramming a shell.

13. A loading device according to claim 12 and further comprising power drive means coacting with the loading table, the loading tray and said moving means for selectively effecting the aforesaid pivotal movements of the loading table and the loading tray respectively and for moving the member of the moving means, and control means for controlling said drive means so as selectively to pivot the loading tray into alignment with the loading table for moving the shell from the loading table to the loading tray or in alignment with the axis of the barrel for ramming a shell and to pivot the loading table into a position in which its loading surface is parallel with the axis of the barrel preparatory to moving a shell upon the loading table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,079 Aldrin et'al Oct., 13, 1953 

